Optofluidic microscope device

Abstract

Optofluidic microscope devices and methods of using optofluidic microscope devices, where each optofluidic device comprises a body with a fluid channel having a surface, light transmissive regions in the body wherein the light transmissive regions have different dimensions, an illumination source adapted to provide illumination through the light transmissive regions, and an optical detector adapted to receive light from the illumination source through the light transmissive regions. The light transmissive regions and optical detector can be used to image an object flowing through the fluid channel.

1. An optofluidic microscope device comprising:
 a body comprising a fluid channel having a surface and configured to flow a fluid and an object in a flow direction; 
 a plurality of light transmissive regions in the body, wherein at least two of the plurality of the light transmissive regions have different dimensions for passing light of different ranges of wavelengths; 
 an illumination source providing illumination through the light transmissive regions; and 
 an optical detector receiving light from the illumination source through the light transmissive regions; 
 wherein the light transmissive regions are located between the optical detector and the object being imaged by the optofluidic microscope device. 
 
     
     
       2. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the surface is the bottom of the fluid channel. 
     
     
       3. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the light transmissive regions are holes, and wherein the different dimensions are different diameters. 
     
     
       4. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the optical detector comprises a charge coupled device. 
     
     
       5. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the optical detector includes a plurality of discrete light detecting elements, wherein the light detecting elements respectively correspond to the light transmissive regions. 
     
     
       6. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the fluid channel has a bottom with a width of less than about 1 micron. 
     
     
       7. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the light transmissive regions comprise an optically transparent material. 
     
     
       8. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the light transmissive regions form an array of holes that extends from a first side of the surface to a second side of the surface. 
     
     
       9. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 8  wherein the first and second sides are substantially parallel to the flow direction through the fluid channel. 
     
     
       10. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the surface is part of a bottom wall, and wherein the optical detector is attached to the bottom wall. 
     
     
       11. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the light transmissive regions form a slanted line. 
     
     
       12. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 11  wherein the slanted line extends from a first side to a second side of the fluid channel, the first and second sides substantially parallel to the flow direction through the fluid channel. 
     
     
       13. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the illumination source provides white light. 
     
     
       14. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1  wherein the body comprises a polymeric material. 
     
     
       15. A method of using the optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 flowing the fluid comprising the object through the fluid channel. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the light transmissive regions have circular radial cross-sections. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  wherein the light transmissive regions comprise holes. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16  wherein the light transmissive regions are holes with a high index of refraction material in the holes. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15  wherein the object is a cell. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 detecting a transmission spectrum of the light passing through the light transmissive regions. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 imaging the object using the transmission spectrum. 
 
     
     
       22. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1 , further comprising a set of three upstream channels that converge into the fluid channel for positioning the object being imaged through the fluid channel. 
     
     
       23. The optofluidic microscope device of  claim 1 , wherein the light transmissive regions form a two-dimensional patterned hole array.